NFC North
The National Football Conference β Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough rivalry games between the teams, it currently has four members: the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings, with the latter three based within most definitions of the Upper Midwest. The NFC North was previously known as the NFC Central from 1970 to 2001. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were previously members, from 1977, one year after they joined the league as an expansion team, until 2002 when they moved to the NFC South. The division was created in 1967 as the Central Division of the NFL's Western Conference and existed for three seasons before the AFLβNFL merger. After the merger, it was renamed the NFC Central and retained that name until the NFL split into eight divisions in 2002. The four current division teams have been together in the same division or conference since the Vikings joined the league in 1961. The Bears, Lions (known as the Portsmouth Spartans until 1934) and Packers have been in the same division or conference since the NFL began a conference format in 1933. Largely because the four teams have played each other at least twice a year, with the exception of the strike-shortened 1982 season, for more than 60 years (more than 80 years in the case of the Bears, Lions and Packers), the entire division is considered one very large rivalry.
Conference | National Football Conference |
---|---|
League | National Football League |
Sport | American football |
Founded | 1967 (As NFL Western Conference Central Division) |
No. of teams | 4 |
Country | United States |
Most recent champion(s) | Detroit Lions (4th title) |
Most titles | Minnesota Vikings (21 titles) |
The division has a total of five Super Bowl wins. The Packers have won four and the Bears one, with the most recent happening at the conclusion of the 2010 season. Of the ten NFL teams with the highest winning percentage throughout their respective franchise histories, three of them are in the NFC North (the Packers, the Bears, and the Vikings). Conversely, the Lions have one of the lowest winning percentages in the NFL, including the first winless 16-game season in NFL history, in 2008.[1]
The Packers hold an overall regular season record of 790β590β38 (through the end of the 2022 season) with an overall playoff record of 36β25, four Super Bowl titles in five Super Bowl appearances, and nine pre-Super Bowl league titles. The Bears hold an overall regular season record of 786β624β42 with an overall playoff record of 17β20, one Super Bowl title in two Super Bowl appearances, and eight pre-Super Bowl league titles. The Vikings hold an overall regular season record of 516β425β11 with an overall playoff record of 21β31, no Super Bowl titles in four Super Bowl appearances, and one league title. The Lions hold an overall regular season record of 579β702β34 with an overall playoff record of 7β13, and four pre-Super Bowl league titles. They have yet to appear in a Super Bowl.
In recent years, the division has been less successful in the playoffs compared to others, holding the second-longest active Super Bowl drought (only ahead of the AFC South) and a 1β9 record in conference championships since 2007, with the only win being the Packers over the Bears in 2010. They have clinched two Super Bowl berths in the 21st century, compared to the other NFC divisions which each have six or more.
The division earned the moniker "Black and Blue Division" due to its intense rivalries and physical style of play, and this nickname is still used regularly today. It is also known as the "Frostbite Division" as all teams played home games in late season winter cold until the mid-1970s. The division is also humorously called the "Frozen North", although Detroit has played its home games indoors since 1975, and Minnesota also did so from 1982 to 2013 and returned to indoor home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016.
ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman often refers to this division as the "NFC Norris" because of its grittiness and its geographical similarity to the National Hockey League's former Norris Division, although in a twist of irony the NHL dropped the Norris name in favor of Central almost a decade before the NFL dropped the Central name in favor of North.
Division lineups
Place cursor over year for division champ or Super Bowl team.
Years | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NFL Western Conference Central Division |
NFC Central Division[B] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1900s | 2000s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
67[A] | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | ||||||||||||||||
Chicago Bears | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Detroit Lions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Green Bay Packers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minnesota Vikings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tampa Bay Buccaneers[C] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NFC North Division[D] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2000s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
02[D] | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chicago Bears | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Detroit Lions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Green Bay Packers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minnesota Vikings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team not in division Division Won Super Bowl Division Won NFC Championship Division won NFL Championship, Lost Super Bowl |
- A The NFL Western Conference was divided into the Coastal and Central divisions. The Packers had won Super Bowl I in 1966 in the NFL Western Conference.
- B Starting in the 1970 season, the division became the National Football Conference - Central Division (or NFC Central for short), after the AFLβNFL merger.
- C Tampa Bay moved from the AFC West in 1977
- D For the 2002 season, the league realigned to have 8 four team divisions. Division adopts current name. Tampa Bay moves to the NFC South.
Division champions
+ A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games, so the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year. Division standings were ignored; Green Bay had the best record of the division teams.
Wild Card qualifiers
Season | Team | Record | Playoff Results |
---|---|---|---|
NFC Central | |||
1970 | Detroit Lions | 10β4 | Lost Divisional playoffs (at Cowboys) 0β5 |
1977 | Chicago Bears | 9β5 | Lost Divisional playoffs (at Cowboys) 7β37 |
1979 | Chicago Bears | 10β6 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Eagles) 17β27 |
1982+ | Minnesota Vikings | 5β4 | Won First Round playoffs (Falcons) 30β24 Lost Second Round playoffs (at Redskins) 7β21 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5β4 | Lost First Round playoffs (at Cowboys) 17β30 | |
Detroit Lions | 4β5 | Lost First Round Playoffs (at Redskins) 7β31 | |
1987 | Minnesota Vikings | 8β7 | Won Wild Card playoffs (at Saints) 44β10 Won Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 36β24 Lost NFC Championship (at Redskins) 10β17 |
1988 | Minnesota Vikings | 11β5 | Won Wild Card playoffs (Rams) 28β17 Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 9β34 |
1991 | Chicago Bears | 11β5 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (Cowboys) 13β17 |
1993 | Minnesota Vikings | 9β7 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Giants) 10β17 |
Green Bay Packers | 9β7 | Won Wild Card playoffs (at Lions) 28β24 Lost Divisional playoffs (at Cowboys) 17β27 | |
1994 | Green Bay Packers | 9β7 | Won Wild Card playoffs (Lions) 16β12 Lost Divisional playoffs (at Cowboys) 9β35 |
Detroit Lions | 9β7 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Packers) 12β16 | |
Chicago Bears | 9β7 | Won Wild Card playoffs (at Vikings) 35β18 Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 15β44 | |
1995 | Detroit Lions | 10β6 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Eagles) 37β58 |
1996 | Minnesota Vikings | 9β7 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Cowboys) 15β40 |
1997 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10β6 | Won Wild Card playoffs (Lions) 20β10 Lost Divisional playoffs (at Packers) 7β21 |
Detroit Lions | 9β7 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Buccaneers) 10β20 | |
Minnesota Vikings | 9β7 | Won Wild Card playoffs (at Giants) 23β22 Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 22β38 | |
1998 | Green Bay Packers | 11β5 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at 49ers) 27β30 |
1999 | Minnesota Vikings | 10β6 | Won Wild Card playoffs (Cowboys) 27β10 Lost Divisional playoffs (at Rams) 37β49 |
Detroit Lions | 8β8 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Redskins) 13β27 | |
2000 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10β6 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Eagles) 3β21 |
2001 | Green Bay Packers | 12β4 | Won Wild Card playoffs (49ers) 25β15 Lost Divisional playoffs (at Rams) 17β45 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9β7 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Eagles) 9β31 | |
NFC North | |||
2004 | Minnesota Vikings | 8β8 | Won Wild Card playoffs (at Packers) 31β17 Lost Divisional playoffs (at Eagles) 14β27 |
2009 | Green Bay Packers | 11β5 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Cardinals) 45β51 (OT) |
2010 | Green Bay Packers | 10β6 | Won Wild Card playoffs (at Eagles) 21β16 Won Divisional playoffs (at Falcons) 48β21 Won NFC Championship (at Bears) 21β14 Won Super Bowl XLV (vs. Steelers) 31β25 |
2011 | Detroit Lions | 10β6 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Saints) 28β45 |
2012 | Minnesota Vikings | 10β6 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Packers) 10β24 |
2014 | Detroit Lions | 11β5 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Cowboys) 20β24 |
2015 | Green Bay Packers | 10β6 | Won Wild Card playoffs (at Redskins) 35β18 Lost Divisional playoffs (at Cardinals) 26β20 (OT) |
2016 | Detroit Lions | 9β7 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Seahawks) 6β26 |
2019 | Minnesota Vikings | 10β6 | Won Wild Card playoffs (at Saints) 26β20 (OT) Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 10β27 |
2020 | Chicago Bears | 8β8 | Lost Wild Card playoffs (at Saints) 9β21 |
2023 | Green Bay Packers | 9β8 | Won Wild Card playoffs (at Cowboys) 48β32 Lost Divisional playoffs (at 49ers) 21β24 |
+ A players' strike in 1982 reduced the regular season to nine games, so the league used a special 16-team playoff tournament just for this year.
Total playoff berths
Total playoff berths as members of the NFC Central/North
(1967β2023 seasons)
Team | Division Championships | Playoff Berths | NFL League Titles | Super Bowl Appearances | Super Bowl Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minnesota Vikings | 21 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Green Bay Packers | 17 | 26 | 13 | 5 | 4 |
Chicago Bears | 11 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
Detroit Lions | 4 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
To sort table above, click button to right of heading.
(1)Does not include Green Bay's 1966 season Super Bowl I win
(2)Does not include Tampa Bay's 1976 season (AFC West) and 2002+ seasons (NFC South)
Total playoff berths in team history
(1920β2023 seasons)
Team | Division Championships | Playoff Berths | NFL League Titles (pre-merger) | Conference Wins | Super Bowl Wins | Total (1) Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicago Bears | 19 | 28 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
Green Bay Packers | 21 | 36 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 13 |
Minnesota Vikings | 22 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Detroit Lions | 4 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
To sort table above, click button to right of heading.
Season results
(#) | Denotes team that won the Super Bowl |
(#) | Denotes team that won the NFC Championship |
(#) | Denotes team that won the NFL Championship |
(#) | Denotes team that qualified for the NFL Playoffs |
Season | Team (record) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |||
NFL Central (pre-merger) | |||||||
| |||||||
1967 | Green Bay (9β4β1) | Chicago (7β6β1) | Detroit (5β7β2) | Minnesota (3β8β3) | |||
1968 | Minnesota (8β6) | Chicago (7β7) | Green Bay (6β7β1) | Detroit (4β8β2) | |||
1969 | Minnesota (12β2) | Detroit (9β4β1) | Green Bay (8β6) | Chicago (1β13) | |||
NFC Central (post merger) | |||||||
1970 | Minnesota (12β2) | Detroit (10β4) | Green Bay (6β8) | Chicago (6β8) | |||
1971 | Minnesota (11β3) | Detroit (7β6β1) | Chicago (6β8) | Green Bay (4β8β2) | |||
1972 | Green Bay (10β4) | Detroit (8β5β1) | Minnesota (7β7) | Chicago (4β9β1) | |||
1973 | Minnesota (12β2) | Detroit (6β7β1) | Green Bay (5β7β2) | Chicago (3β11) | |||
1974 | Minnesota (10β4) | Detroit (7β7) | Green Bay (6β8) | Chicago (4β10) | |||
1975 | (1) Minnesota (12β2) | Detroit (7β7) | Chicago (4β10) | Green Bay (4β10) | |||
1976 | (1) Minnesota (11β2β1) | Chicago (7β7) | Detroit (6β8) | Green Bay (5β9) | |||
| |||||||
1977 | (3) Minnesota (9β5) | (4) Chicago (9β5) | Detroit (6β8) | Green Bay (4β10) | Tampa Bay (2β12) | ||
1978 | (3) Minnesota (8β7β1) | Green Bay (8β7β1) | Detroit (7β9) | Chicago (7β9) | Tampa Bay (5β11) | ||
1979 | (2) Tampa Bay (10β6) | (5) Chicago (10β6) | Minnesota (7β9) | Green Bay (5β11) | Detroit (2β14) | ||
1980 | (3) Minnesota (9β7) | Detroit (9β7) | Chicago (7β9) | Tampa Bay (5β10β1) | Green Bay (5β10β1) | ||
1981 | (3) Tampa Bay (9β7) | Detroit (8β8) | Green Bay (8β8) | Minnesota (7β9) | Chicago (6β10) | ||
1982^ | (3) Green Bay (5β3β1) | (4) Minnesota (5β4) | (7) Tampa Bay (5β4) | (8) Detroit (4β5) | Chicago (3β6) | ||
1983 | (3) Detroit (9β7) | Green Bay (8β8) | Chicago (8β8) | Minnesota (8β8) | Tampa Bay (2β14) | ||
1984 | (3) Chicago (10β6) | Green Bay (8β8) | Tampa Bay (6β10) | Detroit (4β11β1) | Minnesota (3β13) | ||
1985 | (1) Chicago (15β1) | Green Bay (8β8) | Minnesota (7β9) | Detroit (7β9) | Tampa Bay (2β14) | ||
1986 | (2) Chicago (14β2) | Minnesota (9β7) | Detroit (5β11) | Green Bay (4β12) | Tampa Bay (2β14) | ||
1987 | (2) Chicago (11β4) | (5) Minnesota (8β7) | Green Bay (5β9β1) | Tampa Bay (4β11) | Detroit (4β11) | ||
1988 | (1) Chicago (12β4) | (4) Minnesota (11β5) | Tampa Bay (5β11) | Detroit (4β12) | Green Bay (4β12) | ||
1989 | (3) Minnesota (10β6) | Green Bay (10β6) | Detroit (7β9) | Chicago (6β10) | Tampa Bay (5β11) | ||
1990 | (3) Chicago (11β5) | Tampa Bay (6β10) | Detroit (6β10) | Green Bay (6β10) | Minnesota (6β10) | ||
1991 | (2) Detroit (12β4) | (4) Chicago (11β5) | Minnesota (8β8) | Green Bay (4β12) | Tampa Bay (3β13) | ||
1992 | (3) Minnesota (11β5) | Green Bay (9β7) | Tampa Bay (5β11) | Chicago (5β11) | Detroit (5β11) | ||
1993 | (3) Detroit (10β6) | (5) Minnesota (9β7) | (6) Green Bay (9β7) | Chicago (7β9) | Tampa Bay (5β11) | ||
1994 | (3) Minnesota (10β6) | (4) Green Bay (9β7) | (5) Detroit (9β7) | (6) Chicago (9β7) | Tampa Bay (6β10) | ||
1995 | (3) Green Bay (11β5) | (5) Detroit (10β6) | Chicago (9β7) | Minnesota (8β8) | Tampa Bay (7β9) | ||
1996 | (1) Green Bay (13β3) | (6) Minnesota (9β7) | Chicago (7β9) | Tampa Bay (6β10) | Detroit (5β11) | ||
1997 | (2) Green Bay (13β3) | (4) Tampa Bay (10β6) | (5) Detroit (9β7) | (6) Minnesota (9β7) | Chicago (4β12) | ||
1998 | (1) Minnesota (15β1) | (5) Green Bay (11β5) | Tampa Bay (8β8) | Detroit (5β11) | Chicago (4β12) | ||
1999 | (2) Tampa Bay (11β5) | (4) Minnesota (10β6) | (6) Detroit (8β8) | Green Bay (8β8) | Chicago (6β10) | ||
2000 | (2) Minnesota (11β5) | (5) Tampa Bay (10β6) | Green Bay (9β7) | Detroit (9β7) | Chicago (5β11) | ||
2001 | (2) Chicago (13β3) | (4) Green Bay (12β4) | (6) Tampa Bay (9β7) | Minnesota (5β11) | Detroit (2β14) |
- 2002: The NFC Central was realigned for 4 members and was renamed the NFC North. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved to the newly formed NFC South.
Season | Team (record) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
NFC North | ||||
2002 | (3) Green Bay (12β4) | Minnesota (6β10) | Chicago (4β12) | Detroit (3β13) |
2003 | (4) Green Bay (10β6) | Minnesota (9β7) | Chicago (7β9) | Detroit (5β11) |
2004 | (3) Green Bay (10β6) | (6) Minnesota (8β8) | Detroit (6β10) | Chicago (5β11) |
2005 | (2) Chicago (11β5) | Minnesota (9β7) | Detroit (5β11) | Green Bay (4β12) |
2006 | (1) Chicago (13β3) | Green Bay (8β8) | Minnesota (6β10) | Detroit (3β13) |
2007 | (2) Green Bay (13β3) | Minnesota (8β8) | Detroit (7β9) | Chicago (7β9) |
2008 | (3) Minnesota (10β6) | Chicago (9β7) | Green Bay (6β10) | Detroit (0β16) |
2009 | (2) Minnesota (12β4) | (5) Green Bay (11β5) | Chicago (7β9) | Detroit (2β14) |
2010 | (2) Chicago (11β5) | (6) Green Bay (10β6) | Detroit (6β10) | Minnesota (6β10) |
2011 | (1) Green Bay (15β1) | (6) Detroit (10β6) | Chicago (8β8) | Minnesota (3β13) |
2012 | (3) Green Bay (11β5) | (6) Minnesota (10β6) | Chicago (10β6) | Detroit (4β12) |
2013 | (4) Green Bay (8β7β1) | Chicago (8β8) | Detroit (7β9) | Minnesota (5β10β1) |
2014 | (2) Green Bay (12β4) | (6) Detroit (11β5) | Minnesota (7β9) | Chicago (5β11) |
2015 | (3) Minnesota (11β5) | (5) Green Bay (10β6) | Detroit (7β9) | Chicago (6β10) |
2016 | (4) Green Bay (10β6) | (6) Detroit (9β7) | Minnesota (8β8) | Chicago (3β13) |
2017 | (2) Minnesota (13β3) | Detroit (9β7) | Green Bay (7β9) | Chicago (5β11) |
2018 | (3) Chicago (12β4) | Minnesota (8β7β1) | Green Bay (6β9β1) | Detroit (6β10) |
2019 | (2) Green Bay (13β3) | (6) Minnesota (10β6) | Chicago (8β8) | Detroit (3β12β1) |
2020 | (1) Green Bay (13β3) | (7) Chicago (8β8) | Minnesota (7β9) | Detroit (5β11) |
2021 | (1) Green Bay (13β4) | Minnesota (8β9) | Chicago (6β11) | Detroit (3β13β1) |
2022 | (3) Minnesota (13β4) | Detroit (9β8) | Green Bay (8β9) | Chicago (3β14) |
2023 | (3) Detroit (12β5) | (7) Green Bay (9β8) | Minnesota (7β10) | Chicago (7β10) |
Schedule assignments
Year | Opponents | ||
---|---|---|---|
Interconf. | Intraconf. | 17th Opponent | |
2023 | AFC West | NFC South | AFC North (away) |
2024 | AFC South | NFC West | AFC East (home) |
2025 | AFC North | NFC East | AFC West (away) |
2026 | AFC East | NFC South | AFC South (home) |
2027 | AFC West | NFC West | AFC North (away) |
2028 | AFC South | NFC East | AFC East (home) |
2029 | AFC North | NFC South | AFC West (away) |
See also
- BearsβPackers rivalry
- BearsβLions rivalry
- BearsβVikings rivalry
- LionsβPackers rivalry
- LionsβVikings rivalry
- PackersβVikings rivalry
References
- "Lions complete 1st 0-16 season in league history - NFL- NBC Sports". Nbcsports.msnbc.com. December 28, 2008. Archived from the original on December 29, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2012.